1.Field of The Invention
The present invention relates to a shell means for use with a mini electrical connector, and particularly to a shell means easily assembled onto an insulative housing of the mini electrical connector.
2.The Prior Art
At present, the trend of market demand for computerized products favors a light, compact and delicate design. For example, computerized systems or peripherals are now available in convenient portable models. However, as the further miniaturization of the computer advances, electrical assemblies deposited within a computerized system must also be miniaturized to be accommodated within the interior space of the compact computer systems. In such electrical assemblies, electrical connectors occupy the most space in the computer system. Therefore, it is very important for connector manufacturers to miniaturize the electrical connectors or to reduce space occupied by the electrical connectors on the computer system.
Unfortunately, the miniature design of conventional mini electrical connectors deposited within the miniaturized computer system are still space inefficient. The results from conventional electrical connectors requiring extra structures therein to cooperate with a grounding means or a shielding means for providing grounding protection or shielding protection against electromagnetic interference (EMI) or electrostatic discharge (ESD), i.e. insulative housings of some of connector have to provide a structure forming a number of screw holes to retentively cooperate with corresponding bolts for retaining the shell means onto the housing.
Other conventional electrical connectors reduce the occupied space by sacrificing the mentioned structures thereof resulting in a reduced retentive effect between the connectors and the shielding means or grounding means.
In addition, a shell means of the conventional electrical connector generally consists of multiple metal sheets which require the use of exterior tools to assemble the multiple shell means onto the housing of the electrical connector. Therefore, the assembly thereof is complicated and increases labor for the connector manufacturers.
The foregoing conventional electrical connectors are disclosed in Taiwan Patent Application Nos. 77,208,107, 78,204,790, 80,104,898, 80,208,342, 80,211,820, 82,111,200, 82,201,874 and 84,201,441, and U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,637,669, 4,842,554, 4,842,554, 4,842,555, 4,908,335, 4,995,819, 5,017,158 and 5,186,633.
Accordingly, for resolving the above disadvantages, an object of the present invention is to provide a shell means for use with a mini electrical connector, which includes a first retentive section, a second retentive section and a third retentive section to enhance the retentive effect between the shell means and a housing of the connector.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a shell means for use with a mini electrical connector, which includes a third retentive section formed on the shell means and consisting of a loop and a tongue with a clasp. By means of cooperation between the loop and the tongue, the shell means is easily and conveniently assembled onto an insulative housing of the mini electrical connector.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a shell means consisting of a plurality of surfaces wherein one of surfaces integrally forms a grounding portion thereon for reducing space occupied by the mini electrical connector on the circuit board and for convenience of assembly.
An insulative housing of the mini electrical connector cooperating with the shell means of the present invention is similar to the disclosure of co-pending patent application No. 08/933,408 filed on Sep. 19, 1997.